


Love's Keen Smell

by rimmeniall



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Amortentia, Andrew is Soft For Neil Only, Besties That Love Each Other, But He Goes By Neil, But Like Not Really Coz I Hate That Shit, Everyone Is In 6th Year Coz Its Easier For Me Lol, Fluff, Horrible Attempt at British Dialogue so Apologies on That, Hufflepuff Andrew, I Guess There's Some, Light Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Neil Josten as Nathaniel Wesninski, Neil and Andrew are Besties, Potions Class (Harry Potter), Slytherin Neil
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-28
Updated: 2019-09-28
Packaged: 2020-10-26 22:27:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20749763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rimmeniall/pseuds/rimmeniall
Summary: "Mate." He heard Boyd say, sounding a little nervous for some reason. "Why'd you tell the entire class and Professor Wymack that it smelled like Minyard?"Neil spluttered, and Andrew pictured him flailing about like an idiot. "I dunno! Coz it did! And it was a bit frightening, to be honest, the way it was making me feel. I couldn't think straight."Big mood, always, Andrew thought, and snorted silently in his head. That was wishful thinking on his part, regarding Neil. But alas. He’d sigh forlornly if he was capable."Merlin's saggy left one, Neil. That's coz it's-""Amortentia!" Someone shouted in a squeaky voice, and Andrew’s everything suddenly and immediately tore to a screeching halt.When the Sixth Years have to learn about Amortentia-the most powerful love potion in the world that gives off an aroma of the things that are most attractive to each individual who smells it-and Neil obliviously blurts out that he smells Andrew, they're both sent into a dumb, gay panic about what exactly that means to them.





	Love's Keen Smell

**Author's Note:**

> Hiiii, I’m back y’all with some fool-assery writing. I have a problem of relating all of my things back to Harry Potter, so this was to happen eventually. I also have a problem with using Harry Potter puns as titles for my works. As you can see. If you get the reference, congrats. You’re just as lame and nerdy as me. Anywhomst. I’m so glad I was able to get this out and I hope y’all like it. I seriously don’t understand how so many of you can churn out whole fics or updates daily. I’m in awe of you guys coz it’s SO HARD for me and I wanna write so much !!! I’ve got so many ideas my dudes !!! So please enjoy this one that I could actually get out there for mine and y’alls entertainment.

The Potions classroom was clouded with a variety of fumes and vapors when Andrew stepped through the door a minute before class began.

Because Andrew was nothing if not punctual about his _near_ lateness every time. And the bulging vein that Professor Wymack had acquired on his forehead-from having Andrew as a student, Wymack told him-that grew each class was pretty worth keeping it up.

Everyone else was already present, standing around a table set up in the middle of the room. On it were three cauldrons steaming away. Presumably their lesson for the day, as Wymack was hovering over them and staring his students down in a silent warning not to touch.

He looked different today, Andrew noted. Wymack was dressed in a surprising shade of dark maroon robes instead of his usual dull ones. Even his hair appeared slightly groomed, as if he had gotten a trim, which was definitely out of the ordinary for the casual man he knew.

But when Wymack turned to watch Andrew throw his rucksack on the floor somewhere near the desk he normally sat at, Wymack's familiar constipated expression towards him hadn't changed. 

"Nice of you to barely make it on time again, Minyard," Wymack said gruffly, turning back to the cauldrons on the table. Andrew saw the vein in Wymack's forehead pulse slightly as he made his way over to join the huddle of his classmates and felt a tiny bit of satisfaction from it. "At least one of you little buggers made it. Right, then. Get in line so I can get started."

Andrew lolled his head over his shoulder and bared his teeth at Wymack in response. Wymack sighed and muttered something to himself before loudly getting on with the lesson. As Andrew wedged himself between Kevin and Aaron he _accidentally_ jammed his elbow into Kevin's side. _For funsies, _his mind supplied. Kevin swore at him, but he didn't dare try to hit Andrew back.

Instead, Kevin leaned _way_ too close into Andrew's space. Andrew flinched away from him, but Kevin just moved closer. "Where the fuck is Neil?" He hissed lowly.

"How the fuck should I know?" Andrew poked a finger into Kevin's chest and slowly pushed him out of his space again. "Contrary to popular belief, I'm not his keeper. Only Hufflepuff's."

Now that Kevin mentioned it, Andrew realized, as he peered around his classmates, that Neil _was _missing. Which was odd, because he _swore_ he caught a whiff of the unusual Earl Grey and Lavender tea that Neil was constantly drinking when he came into the stuffy room.

Aaron scoffed beside him. "Your wand is so far up his arse you could wave him around like a human-sized lolly."

"Might wanna rethink that statement." Andrew smirked. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Aaron's face screw up in disgust and enjoyed the sight of it. "You're not really one to talk shit, though, are you?" He quipped airily. "With your pathetic pining over your fellow Ravenclaw bird."

"_Shut_ _it,_" Aaron murmured between clenched teeth, sneaking a glance over his shoulder. Presumably at Katelyn, though Andrew knew Aaron would deny it.

"Can anyone tell me what potion is in the first cauldron?" Wymack piped up over their bickering, drawing Kevin and Aaron's attention to the cauldrons in front of them. Andrew's gaze followed at a more leisurely pace.

Several students' hands shot into the air, but Kevin's bleeding pretentiousness asserted itself before Wymack could choose one of them. "That's the Elixir to Induce Euphoria, Sir!" He blurted, puffing his chest as Aaron groaned and dropped his arm. "It induces intense happiness and excitement in the taker."

"Thank you, Mr. Day." Wymack sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "But you've got to stop shouting the answer before I've called on you. You completely defeat the purpose of hand raising when you do, and I think it's only fair that someone else gets the chance to provide us an answer once in a while."

A snort that sounded like it came from Nicky echoed from the back of the group. Kevin crossed his arms over his chest and lowered his head to hide his scowl. "Yes, Sir. Sorry, Sir."

Wymack eyed Kevin for a few seconds before continuing. "Okay..._so_. The Elixir to Induce Euphoria is an advanced potion that causes a sudden sense of inexplicable, irrational happiness in the drinker. It's not a dangerous potion, but there are some possible side-effects such as excessive singing or nose-tweaking, which are counterbalanced by the addition of the Peppermint sprig. If done _correctly_," he stressed, tilting the cauldron towards the group so they could all see what was inside, "it'll be sunshine yellow in color and have a sweet aroma. Now for the potion I have in the second cauldron-"

The large, heavy wooden door to the classroom suddenly burst open and banged against the wall, interrupting Wymack and making everyone turn to watch as Neil finally came tumbling in. He was holding his rucksack to his chest and looked more disheveled than he did when Andrew saw him at lunch. 

“Wesninski. So glad you could join us,” Wymack deadpanned.

“My apologies, Sir,” Neil said loftily, shuffling over towards the rest of them. “I got caught up having a chat with Madam Winfield. She was telling me about how she rather liked the color of maroon and was hoping to see more of it.” 

He smiled cheekily at Wymack as he made his way to the middle of the room and Andrew nearly choked on the potion vapors. 

Wymack’s lips pressed together and his eyes narrowed. “Mhm. Five points from Slytherin for being late. And for the cheek, you’re gonna tell us what you can smell in this second cauldron here.”

Neil gently set his rucksack on the floor and stepped up to table. He leaned over it so his nose was right above the fumes of the cauldron in the middle and closed his eyes as he breathed it in. By his feet, Andrew saw a quick flash of a fluffy, black and orange Kneazle tail poke out of Neil’s bag that swiped at his leg and then darted back inside. Andrew rolled his eyes.

“Um, okay.” Neil took one last drawn out sniff and shivered. “I smell...worn book pages, Quidditch leather after a match, and um.” Opening his eyes, he stared into the potion with a furrowed brow and gripped the edge of the table. “Spicy...chocolate? Like. Shock-o-Choc. Candy.”

There was a contemplative look on both Neil's and Wymack's faces. Except Wymack's said that he foresaw whatever he was thinking about, while Neil's was like he got hit by a sudden Confundus.

"Err." Neil twisted his body, eyes landing on Andrew for a second, before quickly turning back to Wymack. "It kind of, uh. Smells like Andrew," he mumbled.

Wymack's eyebrows shot upwards. Beside Andrew, Aaron's head snapped to him so fast he heard it crack. Even Kevin's attention was dragged back to Andrew.

Andrew held back the urge to punch both of them. And Neil. Because _what the fuck? _What did that even _mean?_ He tried to burn holes into Neil's back with his stare, as if that would explain, and ignored whatever was fluttering around in his stomach.

"Great. Thanks for sharing that little tidbit, Wesninski." Wymack pinched the bridge of his nose again and shooed Neil away. "Can I get someone else to come up here and tell us what you smell? _Knox_. Make it quick."

As Knox skipped to the cauldron table and began rambling, Neil gingerly picked up his rucksack and squeezed himself between the group to stand behind Andrew. Not next to him, like he normally did in every class they had together. Which certainly did _not_ cause a small, sinking feeling in Andrew's chest. Nope. Andrew wasn't even looking at Neil anymore. Absolutely focused on Wymack and his lesson, he was.

But then Neil started to whisper-quite ineffectively, since Andrew didn't have to strain to listen-to someone, most likely Boyd, so of course he couldn't _not_ pay attention to him now.

"_Mate_." He heard Boyd say, sounding a little nervous for some reason. "Why'd you tell the _entire class_ **_and_** _Professor Wymack_ that it smelled like _Minyard_?"

Neil spluttered, and Andrew pictured him flailing about like an idiot. "I dunno! Coz it _did!_ And it was a bit frightening, to be honest, the way it was making me feel. I couldn't _think_ _straight_."

_Big mood, always_, Andrew thought, and snorted silently in his head. That was wishful thinking on his part, regarding Neil. _But alas_. He’d sigh forlornly if he was capable. 

"Merlin's saggy left one, _Neil_. That's coz it's-"

"Amortentia!" Someone shouted in a squeaky voice, and Andrew’s _everything _suddenly and immediately tore to a screeching halt.

Aside from a few curious murmurs throughout his classmates the room went near silent upon this revelation. There was an overwhelming urge in Andrew to either high-five the person who opened up what could be the beginning of Andrew's dreams coming true, or strangle them with an Incarcerous for potentially ruining everything between him and Neil. 

With the way that Andrew could practically _feel_ the tension and fear radiating off of Neil behind him, it was appearing to be the latter.

He completely tuned out the rest of Wymack's lesson and ignored Aaron's eyes boring into the side of his head until Wymack told them to split off into pairs. Normally, Andrew and Neil worked together; between Andrew's precision and Neil's weird affinity for measurements they were a pretty decent duo in Potions. But when Andrew turned to grab Neil as his partner, Neil snagged Boyd by the sleeve of his robes and dragged him off towards a desk on the opposite side of the room without a glance or word to Andrew. He even ignored Wilds' protests for stealing her boyfriend away and forcing her to work with someone else, when he'd usually have something cheeky to parry with.

It was a bit heartbreaking, he'd admit. Silently and only to himself.

Fine, then. If his partner was going to ditch him for someone else because of some stupid potion, that was his problem. Andrew would care about it later, when he had access to his delicious assortment of Honeyduke's candy to drown in. For now, he'd force some other sod away from their usual partner to join Andrew in his sulk.

Before Aaron could run off to Katelyn, Andrew fisted the hood of his robes and pulled him over to the desk his rucksack was at. The sound of Aaron's resisting chokes as Andrew dragged him along made him feel slightly better. 

"What the bloody _fuck_, Andrew," Aaron seethed once Andrew let him go. His face was as red as Godric Gryffindor's bleeding courage. It was funny.

Andrew took his wand out of his sleeve and tapped out a little rhythm against the cauldron at their desk to irritate Aaron further. "What? I just saved you from having to hide your massive boner while _'brilliant Katelyn f__lawlessly adds the ingredients like a ten-year Potions Master'_ again."

The red rage in Aaron's face shifted into an embarrassed flush down his neck as he began to stutter in denial. Andrew continued the rhythm to the beat of Aaron's stammering until Wymack came over to tell them that they were going to be brewing Amortentia. _The most powerful love potion in existence that causes intense infatuation or obsession and gives off an aroma of the things that each individual finds attractive. _Which, apparently for Neil, was _Andrew_. And he didn't seem too chuffed about it.

"How_ splendid_," Andrew muttered, and ignored the look Wymack gave him. Aaron, on the other hand, was ecstatic and set straight to work.

While they brewed, Andrew tried to keep himself from glancing across the room at Neil. But with every new ingredient that him and Aaron added to their cauldron, a new aroma would start forming. A new aroma that was becoming more and more familiar, and _extremely_ distracting. 

Before they could even finish brewing the potion Andrew knew what he would smell.

"I want a foot-long essay next class on which of the three potions you had to brew today," Wymack announced once they were all done. Andrew quickly packed up their things while Aaron, with a gross lovesick expression, went to hand Wymack a sample of their potion. Wymack accepted it with a weary eye. "Tell me what you learned about it, anything interesting you could find out about it on your own, and how you felt while brewing it. And if you had Amortentia and you feel comfortable telling me, I want to know what you smelled. Class dismissed. Now get out."

In Andrew fashion, he rushed out of the room so he could catch Neil on his way out. But as he looked back inside the potions classroom there were only a few of his classmates left, and none were Neil. Andrew wanted to stomp his foot. This was all that damn potion's fault, distracting Andrew enough to lower his vigilant observations and for causing Neil to react to him like this in the first place.

For the first time in a long time, Andrew didn't know what to do.

Him and Neil have been best friends since their first train ride on the Hogwarts Express. A kid called Riko Moriyama had been going from compartment to compartment pompously introducing himself to everyone as _**The** Riko Moriyama, Pureblood Legacy of The Legendary Moriyama Family. _Kevin and Jean Moreau had been unwillingly following Riko around the train, forced to be near him since their families had been close acquaintances for centuries. When they'd gotten to the compartment that Andrew, Aaron, and Nicky were in, Nicky had laughed at Riko and said "_Who?_" Which had turned out to be the wrong response. 

In a blink, Riko had pointed his wand at Nicky, some kind of Hex or Jinx, or maybe even something worse, on the tip of his tongue. _For the disrespect_, he'd said. But then someone outside the compartment had shouted "_Langlock!_" and Riko's tongue had affixed itself to the roof of his mouth, rendering him speechless. His hands had scrabbled at his throat and jaw in a panic, but before he could do anything about it the same voice had shouted "_Furnunculous!_" And Riko had suddenly been covered in a load of nasty, oozing boils.

He'd run off down the train, in a fit of rage and crying incoherently. 

Then a head full of messy, red curls had poked around the door of the compartment, a giant cheeky smile taking up the kid's face. "Been wanting to do that since five compartments ago. What a pretentious twat, right?"

Kevin and Moreau had sighed in relief. Nicky had welcomed Neil into their compartment with open arms. Aaron had given him a nod of acceptance. And Andrew had been a goner.

Since that day, Andrew's feelings for Neil had only grown stronger. They had started at the end of their second year, when Neil had instigated Riko into nearly using the Cruciatus Curse on him in the middle of the Great Hall during dinner and promptly got him expelled. The prick had been bullying, Jinxing, and Hexing kids left and right since their first year; everyone had been in awe of Neil for finally getting something done about it.

And by halfway through their third year Andrew's feelings had been in full force.

Neil was _everything_ to Andrew, in every all-consuming way. But to Neil, Andrew was just his best friend. And Andrew would never do anything to jeopardize or ruin that.

This Amortentia shit had just thrown a sword into all of it.

Andrew's mind crawled into a vacant state for the rest of his lessons that day. Neil wasn't in any of them, which was both a relief and a disappointment. Charms dragged on for what seemed like a literal half-day, and for once Ghoul Studies wasn't that interesting to him. Not even Peeves dropping from the ceiling and crashing through Professor Phantomine's desk could stir something in him.

At dinner, Andrew picked at his roast chicken and flung his peas onto Nicky's plate whenever Nicky made heart-eyes and kissy faces towards the Gryffindor table at his boyfriend Erik. Andrew had tried to make eye contact with Neil over at the Slytherin table when they'd first sat down, but Neil was stubbornly avoiding him. For the first time in five years they didn't play their How Much Sugar Can We Levitate Into Kevin's Food Before He Notices game throughout dinner. It was a low blow to Andrew's already crumbling psyche over Neil today, and he didn't know if he was going to be able to come back from it.

Though when Nicky gave Andrew his extra jam doughnut at dessert his mood did get slightly lifted. _Slightly_.

Again, Neil managed to slip past Andrew out of the Great Hall when dinner was finished. Andrew cursed his talent for speed. There was a time and a place for it, like on the Quidditch pitch, but definitely not bloody _now _when Andrew needed to talk to him. He thought when it came time for a confession of feelings that _he_ would be the one to bolt, not Neil.

It wasn't helpful. It only made Andrew fear the worst.

He trudged through the sloping passageway leading to the Hufflepuff dorms, blank-minded again and ready to just stuff his face with sweets before passing out. _Hopefully_ eating enough sugar would shock his brain into forgetting this day over night. Or, well, to at least give him the ability to pretend it didn't happen.

The common room was occupied by Nicky, Knox, Dermott, Dermott's girlfriend Alvarez, who she'd somehow snuck in again, and a couple others in their House that Andrew didn't care to know. Knox was draped over one of the garish yellow armchairs, giddily prattling on to them about something with a gross, dreamy smile. Andrew rolled his eyes and suppressed a gag as he passed them on his way up to the Sixth Year dorm.

"So I told Jean that the Amortentia smelled like him to me." Andrew heard Knox say. "And then he asked me on a date to Hogsmeade this weekend!"

"Aww!" Nicky and Dermott cooed, while Alvarez said, "You've been dating for two years, Jeremy."

The sounds of their voices couldn't fade fast enough, but Andrew would never run up a set of stairs even if his life depended on it. If it was Neil's, he would. _Fuck_. Andrew shook his head to get rid of that thought. He didn't need that right now.

What he needed was to change into his pyjamas, snuggle into his warm, fluffy duvet, overdose with sweets from his stash, and go to sleep.

Once he was in his softest pair of joggers and a long-sleeved shirt with a crudely drawn image of Quidditch goals and _"I'm a Keeper"_ written on top-definitely _not_ a gift from Neil-he was ready to go. He Accio'd for some Shock-o-Chock, but none flew to him. He tried again, but still nothing. Andrew groaned inwardly as he stomped over to his trunk and threw it open. He dropped to his knees and shoved his arm into the secret compartment he'd added with an Undetectable Extension Charm and rifled around for the familiar box of his favorite sweets. All he came up with were a few Sugar Quills, an assortment of Chocolate Frogs and Skeletons, a tin of Pink Coconut Ice, and two packages of Fizzing Whizzbees, which he would have rather not seen, since they were Neil's favorite.

Sighing, Andrew grabbed the last Sugar Quills and slammed the trunk shut. They'd have to do for tonight, even though he _really_ wanted the Shock-o-Chocks.

When he stood up he was in direct line of sight with the picture he had sitting on his bedside table. It was of him and Neil after one of the Hufflepuff-Slytherin Quidditch matches. They were both hovering in the air on their brooms, with Andrew staring blankly at the camera and Neil-Neil was staring at Andrew with one of his signature cheeky smiles. But this time it was soft.

After a few seconds, picture Neil threw his arm around picture Andrew's shoulder and finally looked at the camera, too. Picture Andrew let him, and he even smiled a very tiny smile at the end.

He couldn't be here with that.

Andrew grabbed his wand and the Sugar Quills and practically raced out of the dorm, not even bothering to put any shoes on. He ignored Nicky's shout asking where he was running off to and Dermott yelling that he better not get caught and lose them more House points. Dramatically bursting out of the common room and into the hallway felt good, but Andrew needed a little more feeling than that right now.

His feet carried him through the dark, empty castle until he made it to the stairs that lead up to the Astronomy Tower. The many steps didn't even irk him tonight. He just wanted to get to the top.

When he finally made it he released a heavy breath and let the familiar height and the quiet sanctuary of the tower wash over him.

But he wasn't alone.

Neil was leaning against the balcony railing, head tilted back and staring up at the darkened sky. He turned his gaze to Andrew and smiled, small and a little scared. "Hi."

Andrew swallowed around the sudden lump in his throat. "What are you doing here?"

"I knew you'd come up tonight." He pulled away from the balcony and shivered when that caused a cold wind to blow across his body. Andrew scoffed lowly. Of course he'd forgo a simple Warming Charm. "Thought I'd beat you here, though. Been waiting about an hour."

_"Why?"_ Andrew wasn't sure he wanted to hear the answer, but he knew he had to. 

Neil shivered again. From the cold or what he was about to say, Andrew didn't know. He cast a quick Warming Charm anyway, and Neil nodded in thanks. 

"Because I needed to think about what I wanted to tell you from your perspective of feeling. And I wouldn't have been able to do it if I had to come to you first," he admitted.

Andrew's heartbeat started to pick up. He hadn't even looked over the edge of the tower's balcony, yet. But the rapid pace of adrenalin beginning to course through his veins felt as if he was standing on the highest star in the sky and preparing to jump. There was no way for Andrew to know what Neil was thinking, no matter what his own opinions about the issue were. All he could do was let Neil say his peace. He'd deal with aftermath later, but he hoped it just wouldn't ruin everything.

He forced himself to walk over to the balcony and stand next to Neil. The Sugar Quills had sadly melted in his clenched fist, forgotten and leaving him sticky. 

"You've been avoiding me since Potions," Andrew said dryly, looking at the ground far, far below.

Neil crossed his arms over his chest and leaned his back against the balcony, facing away from Andrew. "I was...scared."

Andrew turned his head slightly with a raised eyebrow.

Neil closed his eyes and sucked in a breath through his nose. "I was scared that I was taking advantage of our friendship." He bit his bottom lip, a nervous tick he rarely gave into. "You know I don't swing, that I don't feel that kind of way towards other people. I never have. But then you came into my life and things...changed."

"Changed how?" Andrew pressed gently, though his stomach was in his throat. 

The moon slowly moved across the sky, shifting its light half over Neil's face. When he opened his eyes and looked straight at Andrew, the blue of his irises were glowing and honest. "You made me feel."

Like a Bludger to the head, Andrew came crashing. And he crashed hard in an explosion of tentative hope. His non-sticky hand clutched at the balcony railing for balance. He needed to know. "What exactly are you saying, Neil?"

Neil's gaze didn't waver. "It's been building for a while, but I think I didn't want to fully admit it to myself. You're my first ever true friend, Andrew. Everything we have together is so special to me, and I _never_ want to lose that. But then one day my feelings towards you, our friendship, our relationship, it shifted. Suddenly I was looking at you in a different way. I..._wanted_. And I wanted _more_."

The quiet of the night swallowed them as Neil paused for a few seconds. Andrew listened to his steady breathing, hoping that his own quickened breaths couldn't be heard.

"It was honestly the most spectacular, exhilarating, and _scariest_ thing I have ever come to terms with," Neil continued. He dropped his arms and started nervously playing with his fingers. "But I'd never pressure you into anything or make you uncomfortable, and I just felt like my feelings for you weren't okay in regards to our friendship. You're my _best friend_. You don't owe me anything like that and I have no right asking for it. So I hid it, until today. And I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable in any way." When he finished speaking he looked away from Andrew, his eyes downcast and bottom lip back between his teeth.

Andrew wanted to scream. But he couldn't make his mouth move. It took a load of effort, but he forced out, "When?"

Neil's face screwed up in confusion before he understood. "When you took that Bludger from Gorilla and fractured your shoulder. Third year." He glanced up at Andrew again under hooded eyes. "I was so _scared_. But you just kept playing like it was nothing. And when you told me later, in the Hospital wing, that you did it because you 'weren't injured that badly', I knew you were lying. I knew that you did it because Nicky had fifty Galleons riding on Hufflepuff to win, and that he was going to put that money towards Bee getting a new Muggle auto-motor thing."

Andrew did scream then, only internally. He reached out a hand, and with two fingers he lifted Neil's chin up and towards him. "Aaron and I had to brew Amortentia as our potion today. Do you want to know what I smelled?"

Neil's eyes widened. He looked like he wanted to say no, but he nodded.

"I smelled the wind through hair after flying on a broom," Andrew told him, voice low but steady despite the rapid thumping of his heart against his chest. "A fast flier. I smelled a familiar warmth, from a worn jumper or soft cat fur. And I smelled the odd combination of Earl Grey with Lavender." He pulled Neil's chin closer and Neil's whole body followed. "I smelled _you_."

"Andrew," Neil whispered, breathy and a little shaky. 

Andrew dropped his hand from Neil's chin and hovered it over Neil's side. When Neil eagerly mumbled a _"Yes"_, Andrew gently cupped Neil's waist with every inch of his palm and fingers.

"It's always been you," he confessed under the moon and stars lighting up the Astronomy Tower. It was unbelievable.

"Always," Neil echoed, and then they were being pulled towards each other. Closer and closer until they met in the middle in a burst of light and warmth and senses.

Andrew kissed Neil like it was the first and last breath of his life, and Neil kissed back as if it was all he would ever get.

It was a _dream_. One he couldn't believe was at his fingertips and truly _real_.

But it was. He felt Neil lift his hands up to his biceps, pausing before whispering, "Can I?" Into Andrew's mouth. Andrew responded with a barely audible "Yes", and emphasized the grip of Neil's fingers wrapping around his shivering muscle with a gentle bite to Neil's bottom lip. They kissed and kissed and kissed, subconsciously shifting around each other, with each other.

They only stopped when the sound of a bell jingling broke through their kisses, followed by a loud and indignant meow. Andrew frowned, looking down and seeing Neil's Kneazle King sitting at their feet. There was a box of Shock-o-Choc hanging from her little fangs, and Neil let out a startled laugh.

"I forgot I sent her to get that." He bent down to take the package from her and tickled her overly fuzzy ears in thanks. She started circling their legs, and Andrew could hear her strong, happy purrs as she went. Neil stood back up into Andrew's space and handed the Shock-o-Choc to him, that soft, cheeky smile in full force. "I remembered you saying that you had to stock up on them the next time we go to Hogsmeade. But I knew after what happened in Potions today that you'd be wanting them. So I sent her out for a little _Kneazle_ _Knicking_."

_Ridiculous_, Andrew thought. But he was a bit speechless and overwhelmed at everything that Neil was. So Andrew pulled him in for another kiss. And another. And another. He didn't think he'd ever be able to stop now. He didn't want to.

"We should do that," he said against Neil's lips between kisses.

"Hm?" Neil hummed back.

Andrew paused for a second, hovering over Neil's waiting mouth. "Hogsmeade. This weekend. For a," he hesitated. It was weird to say, but it felt absolutely right. Like he should've been saying it all this time. He felt a little silly, now, that he hadn't. "For a date."

"A date." Neil's red lips lifted into the cheekiest grin Andrew had ever seen on him. "I'd love to."

Looking at Neil right now-their chest's touching and body's lined up perfectly, Neil's hands slowly sliding up Andrew's arms when Andrew gave him permission, Andrew's fingers still sticky but appropriately stuck to Neil's waist-Andrew never thought that this would be the outcome for them. This wasn't something that he was supposed to have. And he definitely never thought that it was a possibility, or even let himself believe that it ever could be. To think that all it took was a little push from a _foolishly_ _dangerous_ _Love Potion _was absurd. 

It wasn't supposed to work out. But he wasn't going to look a gift Thestral in the mouth when, for once, things worked out _right_.

Andrew smiled, small and just for Neil, and kissed Neil again for what felt like the first of an everlasting amount.

**Author's Note:**

> Hiiii, thank you for reading (: I hope y'all liked this lil fic. And if you did, let me know what you think !!! I love comments and kudos, they make me want to write more. A little side note-everyone you could possibly think of from the books is in this, even if they aren't mentioned lol. So if you want to know who I put in which House, I'll gladly let y'all know !!! I did actually put a lot of thought into it and wanted to write more of some of the other Foxes or Trojans into this but then I honestly would've never finished. So comment below if you want !!! Also, come find me on [Tumblr](https://echoesaspark.tumblr.com) !!!


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